Emergency officials prepare to remove two pit bulls from a home on Newark Avenue after an attack on a 90-year-old man.A 90-year-old man was mauled by two pit bulls in a brutal attack in Staten Island's Port Richmond neighborhood.

The victim, Henry Piotrowski, was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, and is listed in critical condition.

One of Piotrowski's legs has already been amputated at the knee, and he'll likely lose one of his arms, said his niece, Lainey Sutton.

"The next three days are very critical. He lost a lot of blood," said Ms. Sutton, who drove down to Staten Island from Hillsborough, N.J. after hearing about the attack.

The attack occurred just after 11 this morning.

"The dogs were actually eating him alive," said neighbor Reginald Bell, who was drawn outside his house on John Street when he heard the victim screaming for help. He spotted the dogs on top of Piotrowski in the man's back yard.

"He was mauled completely," Bell said. "His legs were eaten to the bone. His arms were eaten to the bone."

Bell said he ran inside his home, called 911, then grabbed a butcher's knife and chased the dogs away from their defenseless victim.

The pit bulls had fled by the time police arrived.

Cops searched the neighborhood for the two canines before locating them inside a home on nearby Newark Avenue.

More than an hour after the attack officers were seen carrying the canines, named Popeye and Brutus, out of the home.

The animals were euthanized this afternoon, said Richard Gentles, a spokesman for the city Animal Care and Control. The family is being questioned by police and may face charges.

An 11-year-old boy who lives in the Newark Avenue house told reporters the family discovered the animals bloodied and thought they had gotten into a fight with another animal. One of the dogs had a cut on its face, the boy said.

A woman who came out of the home denied owning the dogs and declined further comment.

-- Contributed by John Annese

Never make someone a priority in your life when that someone treats you like an option.

James McNair remained in police custody in the 120 Precinct as authorities upgraded the charges against him.

The Staten Island District Attorney's Office authorized the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

McNair was also charged with possession of fireworks and leash law violations, according to authorities.

Officials say the charges would be upgraded to include manslaughter if the victim, Henry Piotrowski, dies. Piotrowski is currently in critical condition at Richmond University Medical Center. His leg has been amputated, and he may lose an arm and the other leg.

Authorities say McNair is a level 2 sex offender who was charged with raping a 14-year-old girl, along with several others, in 2002.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that authorities were called numerous times to the neighborhood about the pit bulls.

"There were nine calls to 911 about dogs in that neighborhood" in the last two months, Kelly said. Kelly said the department was investigating if police acted appropriately during those calls. "On some occasions, the dogs were taken back in the residence when police arrived," he said. "We're looking at it."

Witnesses said the dogs mauled Piotrowski until a neighbor, Reginald Bell, grabbed a knife, scared them off and called police. "They ate him," Bell told reporters later. "They consumed this man." "I've never seen so much blood in my life," neighbor Stephanie Morton said.

The dogs ran back home to 28-year-old McNair's house, where police officers tranquilized them and carried them away. The dogs later were euthanized and tested for rabies. Results were pending.

Never make someone a priority in your life when that someone treats you like an option.

FYI: That SOB, Peter Vallone, is using this case as a springboard to try and further push the enactment of BSL in all five buroughs of NYC.

He's been all over the local news stations, declaring that pit bulls are nothing but weapons and that no parent stands a chance defending their child against a pit bull attack because "pit bulls can't be stopped" once they attack.

Never make someone a priority in your life when that someone treats you like an option.

Oh, knock it off. We all know how you feel about guns by now, so let's try to keep this thread on topic, okay?

Personally, I am FAR more concerned about the poor man who was mauled and the fact that Peter Vallone is using that tragedy to further his own agenda and attempting to enact BSL less than an hour from my home.

Never make someone a priority in your life when that someone treats you like an option.

"A spokesman for City Council Member Peter Vallone, Andrew Moesel, said the council member hoped the attacks would "show people the dangerous nature" of the dogs. Mr. Vallone has been working to ban pit bull ownership in the city."

"Queens Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr., who has previously proposed a citywide ban of pit bulls, urged Albany today to allow cities breed-specific bans, and said, "How many more people must be mauled or killed for Albany to take steps to protect our citizens from dangerous dogs?"

Did they charge the owner with murder? OMG how awful, what ever happened to the police investigation? I mean whether or not the police acted appropriately? I am so sorry about Mr. Piotrowski. I am also sorry about the dogs, he obviously trained them to behave that way, they always ran home when the police were called. How tragic.

Cyclops Mama

Pookie - 7 yr.old F-cat runs the home with an iron pawCyclops - Pitbull: My little boyHercules:1 1/2 yr. old rott; Daddys boySpider:1 1/2 yr old feline thinks he is a dog "What lies behind us & what lies before us are tinymatters compared to what lies within us."